Yuffie Doesn't Do Things By Halves
by emii sakano
Summary: Just a simple Yuffie piece, because she is more than just a ninja-brat: she is Princess; Avatar; Wutai.


_Title: _Yuffie Doesn't Do Things By Halves  
_Wordcount: _1207_  
Disclaimer:_ Not mine.  
_Notes:_ I'm not completely satisfied with the ending, but I love the rest of it. Just a Yuffie piece, because she is more than just a ninja-brat: she is Princess; Avatar; Wutai.

* * *

She is Wutain, born and bred. To be truthful, a more accurate description might be that she is Wutai. She is Leviathan. She is that tiny island chain (the back of the great dragon) cradled by the seas. She is so much more than just a Princess. She is so much more than just _Yuffie_.

Cloud has no idea what to make of her when she gets like this: when she stands knee deep in the ocean, eyes distant and clouded as she looks into the water with Leviathan singing in her blood. He has always thought of her as wind, and it is jarring to see her connect with another element so easily. He cannot think of her as patient and wearing, only as quicksilver and freedom. Her ability to wield the Choco-Mog Summons is proof enough of this. He has seen her call upon the materia in the privacy of night, has watched her laugh helplessly as the moogle tickled her with its kisses and heard her breathless gasp at the chocobo's gentle headbutt. He has also seen her call upon the Leviathan.

There is no doubt in his mind—in any of AVALANCHE's minds, really, because they had all been present for that first summon—that the Leviathan loves his avatar. Yuffie had been nervous during that first summon; had actually trembled as she ran her fingers over the summoning sphere. He had done an unobtrusive scan, then, making sure her reserves were at their fullest just before she looked into the depths of her materia.

Cloud still has no idea what she saw, but whatever it was pulled a breathless gasp from the girl before she closed her eyes. Her expression oddly peaceful and knee deep in the ocean of her land, she breathed the God's name and he answered her call. One moment they were on the beach, then the rushing sound of the incoming tide filled his ears and suddenly they were submerged. There was a moment of panic before he realized he could breath despite being underwater—despite tasting the salt of the ocean in his lips and feeling the sodden weight of his soaked clothes—and he saw his awe echoed in the faces of his comrades. Then, as one, they saw Yuffie.

She was floating in the embrace of a dragon. It was not the type that they had faced, numerous times, near the Nibelheim reactor, but rather the curious serpent of Wutain tradition. It wrapped around her body laughing and weaving through the water playfully as she sang and embraced and loved it with her every movement. The water rocked around them with every chortle that escaped from the Leviathan; its gentle touch was a continuous kiss against her skin as she danced and sang with her serpentine partner. Her words were Wutain—the first time any of the team had heard her deviate from Standard—and melodic despite the harshness of the consonants and vowels.

It had been breath-taking.

He is reminded of that when she gets like this. Eyes finally closed, and ears focused on Leviathan's distant, throaty laugh and its poor echo in the crashing surf. The seas never remain calm when she nears them—part of the reason she stays sick whenever they get on a boat—and it serves as little more than an unpleasant reminder of her separation. When the sun finally sets, he shucks his pants, socks, and boots and wades into the water. The touch of his hand brings her back from wherever she had drifted to and she starts.

Stormy grey eyes remain unfocused for a harrying three seconds—it takes longer and longer to snap her out of it these days—before snapping to focus on his face.

"Spikes?" Yuffie's speech is slurred, almost drunk.

"C'mon, Princess. We have a ways to go."

They make their way back to land and she has the audacity to giggle at him as he dries off and pulls on his pants and foot-gear. He sighs and reminds her to do the same, waiting patiently as she pulls on her socks, holster, and shoes. Yuffie stumbles when they start walking, and he manages to get in front of her when she does. Her arms wrap around his neck instinctively and he chuckles as he loops his arms beneath her knees.

"Spikes!" She yelps. "What're you doing?"

"Giving you a piggy-back ride." He chuckles as she growls in his ear. "The Highwind's at least a kilo away, you don't really expect to walk that right now, do you?"

"I could." Yuffie hesitated before replying and buried her face into his neck when he chuckled. "Shaddup, y'know I could."

"I know, but the last time you tried to—"

"—I already promised I wouldn't go alone!" She stiffens, then melts bonelessly against his back, instinctively distributing her weight a little more evenly for him. "You could let me pretend to keep my pride."

"True enough," He adjusted her. "But you're not the only one who knows what it's like to have voices in their head, and how hard it can be to pull away."

"You 'n Aeris would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Me?"

"I'm ninja, Spikes. I know everything!"

She laughs, low and throaty against the back of Cloud's neck. It sends shivers down his spine. After that, their walk is quiet and thoughtful as they come near the shadow of the airship. The moon is full tonight. He pauses to admire it after setting her down, letting her finish pulling herself together while he is distracted. She almost slips past him before he notices, and he grins as he catches onto the ladder beneath her.

"You're not nearly as bad at being a ninja as you pretend to be, are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Yuffie grasped onto the floor of the entrance and pulls herself up and into a tight roll, bouncing to her feet with the ease of long practice. Cloud follows her just in time to see a bright grin on her face. "Aeris!"

The older woman looked at him above Yuffie's head, silently inquiring as to how her meditative session had gone. His rueful shrug is answer enough and Aeris tousles the ninja-brat's hair with a gentle grin.

"Tifa has cookies for you."

"YES! You two are the best!" Yuffie dashes off, tripping over a wrench and catching herself before disappearing into the conference room. Cloud watches her leave with a smile.

"We should have time for one more break on our way up North." Aeris murmurs. "She'll need it to be able to focus."

They don't have the time. In the end, the next time Yuffie has time to submerge herself knee deep in water, Leviathan echoing in her ears, it is to see Her off. Saying goodbye will always be the hardest thing to do, and Cloud can see the grief tearing her apart. She collapses in his arms after they let go of the older woman, her tears soaking into Cloud's turtleneck. The surf is distant, muted, but it crashes with the ferocity beneath Yuffie's quiet sobs. The sound of waves has never been so loud and unforgiving in their ears.


End file.
